This article orginally ran in December of 2020.

At the end of 2020, OnMilwaukee reported that Generac Power Systems signed on as a long-term sponsor of the Summerfest stage that Harley-Davidson had sponsored for years. But who is this company that's now deeply rooted in Milwaukee's massive festival community and what do they do? 

Generac, founded in 1959 by Robert Kern in Wales, Wis., has a history of making relevant product innovations from portable generators, to inventing the category of home standby generators, to home battery storage systems, and recently, virtual energy management.

Today, Generac is a global leader in energy technology and has emerged as a major industry mover-and-shaker in clean energy. Consequently, Generac products are everywhere, with more than 2 million Generac generators permanently installed in the U.S. Generac portable generators are often found on job sites and in homes where easy, portable power generation can be taken anywhere including tailgates, campsites, temporary backup for appliances when the power goes out and more. 

"Generac is one of Fortune's 100-Fastest Growing Companies for 2020, and we're not letting up," says Ryan Fitzgerald, spokesperson for Generac Power Systems.

So how does Summerfest fit into Generac's mission?

"We identified an opportunity to mirror the type of energy we create with a prominence on Milwaukee’s lakefront with Milwaukee World Festival," says Fitzgerald. "The Generac Power Stage will be an outstanding experience for festival-goers for years to come and we’re thrilled to see our name in lights with a community that we love. We're looking for great people to join our team and a partnership with Summerfest and Milwaukee World Festival is another step in introducing ourselves to everyone in Wisconsin."

To check out all of the bands performing on the Generac Stage during Summerfest 2021, go here.